Coast Banksia

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) is the tree to plant where the wind comes off the water and everything else gives up. It grows to about 8m tall and 5m wide in a typical garden, holds dark green leaves with silver undersides that flash in the breeze, and carries pale yellow flower spikes through autumn and winter that honeyeaters and lorikeets work over for weeks. It handles salt, wind, drought, frost and poor sandy soil, a combination very few trees can offer.

Why you'll love it

• Built for exposed coastal sites. Salt and wind tolerant, and it grows naturally on foredunes down the eastern seaboard. On a windy block it is one of the safest choices you can make.
• Flowers through the cold months. Upright yellow spikes from autumn into winter, when nectar is scarce, so the tree feeds honeyeaters and native bees.
• It grows where other trees fail. Sand, gravel and thin poor ground are all fine, and once established it is genuinely drought tolerant.
• Wide climate range. Frost hardy and comfortable from subtropical gardens through warm and cool temperate country to Mediterranean climates.

Where it works best

Coastal gardens. The obvious use, and the one it does best. It takes direct salt wind where ornamental trees burn off within a season.

Windbreaks and shelter belts. Plant 3m apart in a row, or a staggered double row on a very exposed boundary. The canopy filters wind rather than blocking it.

Screening, shade and feature planting. At 3m spacing it makes a tall informal screen with an open natural feel. It is not a clipped hedge plant, so do not shear it. A single tree in a lawn gives light shade and a gnarled trunk with age.

Growing Coast Banksia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy once established. On exposed coastal sites expect a shorter, wind pruned tree. In sheltered gardens 8m to 10m is usual.

Soil. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal, and sharp drainage is the one real requirement. On clay, plant high on a mound and skip the rich compost.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to get the roots down, then very little. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser or nothing at all, because standard lawn and garden fertiliser near the roots can kill an otherwise healthy tree.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tip prune young trees to build good branch structure and remove damaged wood after storms. Avoid hard cuts into old wood, which it does not reliably reshoot from.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown across a wide range of sizes, from tube and 140mm packs of ten through 200mm and 250mm packs, then 300mm and 400mm pots, and on to 25L, 45L, 75L, 100L, 200L and 400L. Small sizes are the right call for a windbreak: young banksias establish strongly and catch advanced stock quickly. The 45L and larger sizes suit a single feature tree.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• See the full banksia range
• Browse native trees for shade and shelter
• Explore Australian native plants
• Cootamundra Wattle for fast winter flower

Common questions

How big will it get in my garden?

Around 8m tall and 5m wide is the realistic figure, reached over a decade or two. Sheltered positions can push it past 15m eventually, while an exposed coastal site often holds it to 4m or 5m with a windswept shape.

Can I plant it right on the beachfront?

Yes. It is one of the few trees that genuinely tolerates direct salt wind and sandy soil. Stake it for the first year, keep the water up through summer, then leave it alone.

What fertiliser should I use?

A native specific low phosphorus fertiliser in early spring, or none at all. Phosphorus toxicity is the most common cause of an unexplained banksia death.

Western Australia: this species has escaped from gardens and naturalised in WA, where it competes with local bushland plants. We do not recommend it for gardens in the south west of WA. Please choose a local alternative.